Our little girl turned 11 this week and this year Lauren wanted to have an Alice in Wonderland themed party, which turned out super cute, and so I thought I’d share some of that cuteness with you, Gentle Reader.

Sam, dressed as the Mad Hatter, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the guests! We got his hat for $5 at a party supply store and the rest of his costume was just the remains of his cello recital outfit, too small to recite in, but just right for becoming the Mad Hatter.

I actually forgot to get a photo of this while it was hanging on the front door. This is just a hand made sign on card stock inviting our guests to fall down the rabbit hole and enter Wonderland.

Of course, Wonderland has all sorts of arrows leading in every direction but the right one! The kids had a blast making these and posting them around the house! We just got a couple of poster boards (from the Dollar Store), drew arrows all over them, cut them out, and wrote “directions” on them.

No Alice in Wonderland party would be complete without a stack of giant cards! We found these huge playing cards at a party supply store and Lauren drew faces on paper and taped them on so they looked like soldiers in the Queen of Heart’s garden!

I think these might have been my favorite part of the party if only because of the kid’s reaction to them, they were a huge hit! Cute little bottles with corks (found at Hobby Lobby for $1.99/ea) filled with Magical Elixir (Hawiian Punch) and finished with a ribbon and a hand made “Drink Me” sign.

In the story, Alice often finds herself in the awkward position of either shrinking (“Three inches is such a dreadful height, after all”) or growing (“Over a mile high!”). We thought that the best way to simulate all that size changing was to juxtapose large and small food and decorations to make you feel either very big or very, very small, indeed. The small flowers and butterflies I picked up at the Dollar Store, the large butterflies are from Hobby Lobby (all very affordable, less than $5/ea.). The large flower was also purchased from Hobby Lobby (50% off!) and will also serve as decoration in Lauren’s room.

{big cupcakes with home made “Eat Me” signs taped to toothpicks, the door mouse in a Happy Birthday hat, peeking out of the creamer pitcher, more big cupcakes with sugar pearls, foods big and small (m&m’s and marshmallows), tiny cupcakes, The Birthday Cake! with an sugar pearl L}

And when it was all over, the guests just had to follow the arrow to find their way home…we filled these cute little mason jars with all of Lauren’s favorite candies, tied on a hand made “Take Me” sign, and gave them away instead of goody bags!